


Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

by faded_moon



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Author! Bilbo, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Mention of Jurassic World, Minor cursing, Not Really Fluff But Kinda Fluff?, Protective Bilbo, Teen and Up Only for Kissing, Young Frodo Baggins, bagginshield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-04 21:24:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4153485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faded_moon/pseuds/faded_moon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For several days, a strange man with long, black hair and scruffy clothes has been sitting on the front steps of Bilbo's townhouse from afternoon tea to supper, and Bilbo doesn't like it one bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a Bagginshield fic (but certainly not my first time thinking of Bagginshield scenarios). It's also my first time writing a long one-shot and a Modern AU fic like this, so please comment and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading! P.S. Frodo is about six or seven in this fic.

Bilbo huffed as he peered out the window. There he was again. The man with raggedy, long, black hair, sitting on the steps of his townhouse. It was the fifth day in a row he had come, only to sit for hours from afternoon tea to supper. His awful cousin, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, had called him earlier that day to once again warn him that there was a homeless creep sitting in front of his home, and that _"all the neighbors have been complaining about the disturbance he is causing to the neighborhood."_ Bilbo had smirked at the fact that Lobelia was much more of a disturbance than the man was, but told her that he would take care of the situation in order to shut her up. Upon looking at the man, he honestly didn't know if he pitied him or found him an annoyance.

"Uncle! Uncle!" he heard little Frodo call out to him, waving a wooden block in his hand. "What are you staring at?"

Bilbo stepped away from the window, closing the curtain. Luckily, the man always came after Frodo came home from school. Bilbo also kept Frodo busy with game and toys and reading, so Frodo wouldn't curiously bug or bother the man. "Oh, it's nothing Frodo," he replied. "Come, let's play with the toy soldiers and build a fort for them!"

\---

Two days later, Bilbo had a deadline he absolutely had to meet (so said his publisher), thus he allowed Frodo to go play at the park with Lotho, under the careful watch of Lobelia. The unpleasant woman said she would have Frodo back by half past five o'clock, but it was already a quarter till six. Lobelia, although dreadful in character, was always punctual, which raised Bilbo's concern. The thought of someone attacking or kidnapping Frodo frightened Bilbo to his core. Ready to go to the park and search for Frodo himself, Bilbo put on a light coat and almost sprinted out the front door, only to find Frodo standing at the bottom of the steps, talking to the man!

"Frodo!" Bilbo yelled. He ran down the steps and picked the young boy up. "You should've been inside to wash up for supper by now." He looked at the man on the steps, who appeared as shabby as ever, wearing an over-sized camouflage jacket, a white tank top, olive-colored pants, and large tan boots. Would it be appropriate for him to tell the man to leave? "Erm, excuse me, sir," he began, but as the man looked up, Bilbo felt sorry for him.

"S'no problem," the man grumbled with something that resembled a hard frown.

Bilbo looked away, feeling awkward by the man's presence. "Alright then, good day, sir," he said hurriedly, carrying Frodo up the steps and into the house. Upon closing the door, Bilbo sighed, put Frodo on the ground, and crouched down to his eye level. "Now what have I said about talking to strangers, young man?" he chided, wagging his finger.

"No talking to strangers ..." the little boy said quietly, looking down at his feet. "But Mr. Thorin is nice! He told me a bunch of stories how he-"

"No talking to strangers," Bilbo interrupted, enunciating every word. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you, Frodo. Please be more careful, okay?" Frodo nodded his head, his dark brown curls bouncing everywhere. "Good, now go wash up for dinner. I made your favorite, cottage pie." Frodo cheered and ran up the stairs, causing Bilbo to chuckle at the young boy's enthusiasm. 

\---

The next night, a huge spring storm had hit, the thunder and lightning distracting Bilbo from writing. He let out a breath and stood up, walking out of his study and to the front window to see how bad the thunderstorm was. Right as he opened the curtain, a strike of lightning appeared in the sky, making Bilbo jump. Bilbo looked down from the sky and to the street, laughing at how even at his age storms could be scary. But as he surveyed the empty street, his eyes wandered over a figure sitting on his front steps. The man! He was sitting through the storm, staring at nothing while thunder roared. It was already almost three hours past supper, and the man never stayed that long. Bilbo mentally cursed, pulling his rain jacket from the coat rack and opened the door to greet the raging storm.

"Sir!" he yelled through the loud downpour of rain. He ran down the steps and shook the man's shoulder. "Sir! Please come inside for shelter! You're soaked to the bone!" The man looked at Bilbo in a somewhat skeptical manner, but nonetheless got up and allowed Bilbo to push him inside the house.

Bilbo loudly and quickly shut the door behind him, breathing deep breaths as if he had run a far distance. Frodo stood at the bottom of the steps in his dinosaur pajamas with his mouth open. "Frodo, get some towels," Bilbo demanded. After Frodo ran off, Bilbo directed the man to take off his boots and jacket. To Bilbo's surprise, the man easily complied without a word, but with several baritone grunts.

Frodo came back with, of course, the nice towels he had gotten as a housewarming gift from his old family friend, Gandalf. Oh well, it was too late to demand for any other ones. He took them from the boy's hands and draped one over the man's shoulders and one over his head. "A hot shower would probably be good for you," Bilbo thought aloud. Without haste, he pushed the man to the bathroom on the first floor. "The shampoo is the blue bottle, and the bar soap right there you can use for your body. I'll bring you a fresh set of towels and if you leave those towels and your clothes on the ground, I can wash them for you," he offered while turning on the shower. Bilbo then walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him to get another (not as nice) pair of towels and went in search for clothes the man could wear.

The towels were easy to find, but a set of clothes to fit the man was much, much harder. Bilbo had to dig through his clothes to find a thin pair of grey sweats and a large white t-shirt from a set that he had won as a raffle prize from the neighborhood's previous Father's Day gathering. He knocked on the door to the bathroom to announce his arrival and opened the door to hastily place the towels on the toilet seat and the clothes on the edge of the sink. Bilbo picked up the wet clothes and towels off the ground, using the towels to mop up the slippery mess in the hallway, and then made his way to the laundry room. After placing all the clothing in the washer, he went to the kitchen to heat up a bowl of the beef and barley stew he and Frodo had for dinner earlier that night, as well as toast a few slices of bread.

"Uncle Bilbo." he heard Frodo whisper behind him, tugging at his shirt. "Uncle Bilbo!" he whispered again, louder, before Bilbo responded with a "Hmm?"

"I thought you said not to talk to strangers! And now we let a stranger into the house!"

Damn, Frodo was right; he had said that several days ago about the same exact person. He scratched his honey curls, thinking about how to explain his impulsive actions to the boy. "Um, this is a special situation, Frodo. You see, there's a storm outside and he could've been hurt by the lightning or he could get sick from being in the rain for so long."

"But he's a _stranger_!" Frodo whispered. Man, was he insistent on the stranger thing.

"Yes, he is a stranger, but-" Bilbo started, but was cut off by the sound of another person clearing his throat. Bilbo and Frodo looked behind them to find the man bathed and cleaner than they had ever seen. His ratty, black hair was, well, not ratty any more, but damp and wavy. His face no longer was covered in dirt, and Bilbo could see that the man was quite handsome, with his pointed nose and blue eyes.

"Where should I put my towels?" the man asked, breaking the silence with his low voice.

"I can put them in the laundry machine!" exclaimed Frodo, taking the towels from the man's hands and running off to the laundry room.

Bilbo awkwardly looked left and right to avoid eye contact with the man. "Um, I'm heating up some food for you; is beef stew and bread alright?" The man nodded and Bilbo continued, "If you sit down at that square mahogany table, I can bring the food to you in a couple of minutes."

The man turned and walked to sit at the table, while Bilbo focused his attention on heating the stew on the stove top. Bilbo heard another seat being pulled out, and from the corner of his eye he saw Frodo sit next to the man and start talking to him. How could the boy be so concerned about the stranger situation, but still be so open to talking to the man!

Once the stew began to boil, Bilbo ladled it into a bowl and got a spoon, along with the toasted bread. He brought the bowl to the table and set it down in front of the man, who was listening to little Frodo and his motormouth talk about dinosaurs.

"-and I really like the velociraptors the best! We just went to see Jurassic World and I was a big boy and I didn't get scared by anything! My favorite part was when Owen was with the raptors and when he controlled them and when he was on the motorcycle ... it was so cool!"

Biblo sat down as the man mumbled a quiet "Thanks," and started to spoon the stew into his mouth.

"Sorry about Frodo ... we just went to see Jurassic World this weekend and he's all about dinosaurs now," Bilbo nervously chuckled. The man nodded his head with slight acknowledgement before dipping the bread in the stew and taking a huge bite. Boy, could this guy make someone feel awkward in their own home. Bilbo wracked his brain for things to talk about, but then realized he hadn't even said his name yet. "Oh, how horrible of me to not introduce myself - I'm Bilbo," he said extending his arm for a handshake.

The man slowly put his spoon down and gave Bilbo's hand a solid shake. "Thorin." Thorin let go of Bilbo's hand and started to eat again.

"And I'm Frodo!" Frodo said with a smile. "But Mr. Thorin and I met the other day!" Typically Frodo was a shy boy, keeping to himself in the company of strangers until he was comfortable with them, which took some time, though he seemed very open to the man already.

Bilbo sat awkwardly as Frodo began to talk more about dinosaurs and his love for them. Thorin (messily) downed the food, seemingly listening to the boy's jabber. Should he make small talk with him? But what would he speak of? Surely he couldn't use a line about the weather. If he actually was homeless, it would be rude to ask about where he lived, what he did, etcetera, etcetera, so what was he supposed to talk about? He got up, excused himself and made way for his study to get his phone.

Quickly, he dialed Bofur's number and waited for his friend to pick up.

"Hey, Bilbo, crazy storm outside right now, huh?" Bofur said immediately.

"Yeah, yeah, anyway, you know that guy that I told you about that's been sitting outside on my doorstep?" Bilbo asked rapidly, without waiting for a response from Bofur. "Well, I kinda let him in my house because of the storm and I let him shower and gave him some food, but _god_ he's so awkward and he doesn't say much at all and I can't figure out what to say to him!" There was a pause on the other line, making Bilbo look at the screen of his phone to make sure the call wasn't dropped. "Hello? Bofur? Are you there?"

"Mhmm," he heard his friend say. "So what are you going to do?"

"I literally have no idea! Frodo is rambling out there right now while the guy eats and I'm not sure if I should trust him? This guy looks pretty buff, like huge arms and wide shoulders. You should see his muscles, Bofur. He's taller than me too! And he's got a scruffy beard and mustache!" 

Bofur laughed over the phone. "It kinda sounds more like you're drooling over his body, mate."

"He's a complete stranger that's been sitting outside our house for a week now," Bilbo went on, disregarding Bofur's previous comment. "For all we know, he could be a stalker or a serial killer! Oh my god, what have I gotten myself into. Oh my god, he's out there alone with Frodo. I gotta go, I'll talk to you later. Actually, if I don't text you in an hour, call the police," he said frantically as he hung up and pocketed his phone.

He opened the doors to his study and rushed back to the table in case Thorin was harming Frodo, but instead found the two playing with blocks on the floor. The bowl was gone and the table cleaned, and when Bilbo went to the sink he found that the bowl was washed and placed on the drying rack. He got a glass of water and walked to give it to Thorin. As always, the other man mumbled his thanks and took a drink. Bilbo sat down in his arm chair, watching Thorin look at Frodo fondly. He fiddled with his fingers and then turned his wrist to glance at his watch. Already almost ten o'clock? Where had the time gone?

"Frodo, it's well past your bedtime. Let's clean up and brush your teeth," Bilbo said to Frodo's disdain. But Frodo was a good child who always listened, and thus cleaned up his toys and let Bilbo escort him up the stairs and into the bathroom, then to bed. Bilbo tucked Frodo in tight and turned on the little boy's dinosaur nightlight, then slowly crept out of the room as Frodo slowly succumbed to slumber. Bilbo let out a sigh before he went back down the stairs.

When he arrived on the first floor, Thorin was looking at the photos of Bilbo and Frodo over the fireplace. "Frodo is your son?"

"No, we're actually cousins," he responded, sitting down again in his arm chair. "He just calls me uncle because of our age difference. Frodo's parents passed in a boating accident when he was four and I adopted him."

"And you and your wife take care of him?"

"Oh, um, no wife," Bilbo replied. "I'm not married. Are you?" As the question slipped off his tongue, Bilbo regretted it. He wasn't supposed to ask any personal questions!

Thorin turned toward him, and Bilbo clenched his hand. "No, I'm not either," Thorin answered, giving Bilbo some relief that he hadn't offended him.

Bilbo evaded looking at the other man's eyes, biting his lip and drumming his fingers on his thigh. What else was he supposed to talk about? A boom of thunder rang, breaking Bilbo out of his thoughts. Even with the harsh sounds of the rain falling, he had forgotten that a storm was going on outside. Which would mean Thorin wouldn't be able to leave. Which would mean he would have to stay here. Bilbo chewed at his lip more, unsure of what to do. He could feel Thorin's stare on his face, as if it were a pressure on his conscience saying "Let him stay! Let him stay!"

And so Bilbo stood up and gave in. "Um, so it's still raining a lot and I don't think it would be wise for you to go back out," he began. "You can stay here; there's a guest bedroom next to the bathroom." He looked up and blushed as he finally made eye contact with the other man. Thorin had a glint in his eye, a predator-looking-at-his-prey look. Focusing his eyes on the clock on the mantle, he continued. "I mean, if you'd like, of course. You could go outside, too, if you wanted." Bilbo realized what he had said and blushed even more. Why the hell would any man choose to go into a raging storm if offered shelter!

Thorin took a step closer to Bilbo and asked with his deep voice, "Why are you being so kind to me?"

"Erm, I think it would be what any decent person would do, if in this situation," mumbled Bilbo. He saw Thorin took another step toward him and he panicked. He was going to kill him now, wasn't he? Bilbo needed to stall. He had to stall through his mindless chatter. "Y-yeah that would be what a-any good person would do, I would like t-to think, but-"

Before he could continue, Thorin's hand reached up toward Bilbo's face, and oh god he was going to strangle him now, and Bilbo couldn't do anything; he was frozen with fear. Thorin's right hand held the side of Bilbo's neck, his thumb pressed right next to Bilbo's jaw, his left grabbing Bilbo's hip, and he kissed, _kissed_ him. For a second, Bilbo couldn't move, couldn't process what was going on, but when Thorin's warm lips moved against his, Bilbo kissed him right back. Bilbo had never had one of those "it-feels-so-wrong-but-it-feels-so-right" kisses before, but this, _this kiss_ was it. A moan escaped Bilbo's lips, and he wrapped his arms around the other man's neck, his fingers grabbing Thorin's dark hair. My _god_ , did this man know what he was doing. His tongue ran over Bilbo's lip and Bilbo moaned again. The two locked lips, and Bilbo couldn't believe that he was kissing a man who was a stranger to him only several hours ago.

Upon realizing this, that Thorin technically was still a stranger, Bilbo gasped. His hands met Thorin's shoulders and lightly pushed the taller man away. His hand covered his mouth in surprise, and whispered "I-I-"

"Sorry," muttered Thorin, something close to hurt evident in his blue eyes. He walked away from Bilbo, towards the guest room, and Bilbo heard a door close behind him. 

Shit. He hadn't meant to totally push Thorin away, but Bilbo had never kissed a complete stranger before. It was so good though; why did he have to push him away? He sighed and shook his head, making his way to the laundry room to put the clothes in the dryer. He took his phone out of his pocket and texted Bofur.

**To Bofur:** _10:14pm - Everything is fine._

\---

Right after Bilbo woke the next morning, he went downstairs to check on Thorin - to explain to Thorin - but the other man was already gone. He had left a note on the mahogany table with a mere _Thank you._ in scribbled handwriting. So that was it. It would be okay. Thorin would come sit on the steps again, wouldn't he?

But he didn't. A week had passed and the downpour of rain continued; however, Thorin hadn't returned. Frodo asked why Mr. Thorin didn't come back, for he wished to tell Mr. Thorin more about different dinosaurs, but Bilbo could only respond saying he didn't know.

\---

Finally when the rain let up, Bilbo had offered to take Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin to the park since the children hadn't been able to play outside starting from before the storm. Frodo was so excited and Bilbo would've been if he didn't have to take all four of the kids out at once, but at least he didn't have to take care of the four all the bloody time.

"Come on, Uncle Bilbo! We've got to go!" Frodo yelled from the front of the door.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" Bilbo said as he collected the filled water bottles and snacks for the young ones. "Why don't you go outside first and gather up the boys?"

"Okay!" Frodo exclaimed, opening the door. That would give Bilbo a few minutes to himself, at least. "Uncle! Uncle Bilbo, come here! Come quick!" Well, maybe not.

Bilbo let out a sigh and walked toward the door, and asked, "What is it Frodo?" as he opened the door wider to see what the commotion was about. A man with wavy, black hair tied into a pony-tail and short facial hair stood outside the door, wearing a white v-neck and jeans with his arms behind his back. That pointy nose ... and those blue eyes! "Thorin?" Bilbo asked in bewilderment. He looked more clean-cut - more clean in general.

"Hi," he said, ever so short with his words. "I was wondering if we could talk?"

"Oh, um, sure," Bilbo answered. "Frodo, go get the others first and wait outside Sam's house. I'll be there soon." He ushered Frodo out the door as Frodo gave a "Bye, Mr. Thorin!" while running down the steps.

Thorin watched Frodo prance on the sidewalk before clearing his throat. "I never got to formally thank you for allowing me to stay on the night of the storm. I didn't really know what to get to show my appreciation, but here." From behind his back, he brought out a pot of pink orchids. "For you. For my thanks. For ... pushing myself onto you."

"Oh, Thorin, I-" Bilbo tried to say, but Thorin held up his empty hand. 

"And for me to confess," Thorin stated while grabbing Bilbo's hands. He continued in his silky, baritone voice. "I work for the construction crew that's been building the house at the end of the street, and I saw you picking up Frodo from the bus stop and I thought you were really cute, so I'd been watching you for a couple of weeks and decided to sit on the steps to your house to try to get your attention." Bilbo reddened. Thinking about it now, he _had_ seen Thorin working on that house! "I'm really sorry if I came off as a creep, but I just really wanted to notice me. The night of the storm I was only there in the rain so you would invite me in, and when you did I was so happy. I wasn't sure if you had a significant other, so when I asked you if you had a wife that night, I was testing the waters." 

Oh my god. Thorin had been playing him like a game. "So, the entire time, you played me right into your hands?" Bilbo asked doubtingly. 

"Yes, and I'm sorry about cheating you, in a way. I just really liked you. I'm sorry for advancing on you and I get that you pushed me away, but I wanted to ask you on a real date. A dinner date, where we talk and get to know each other. If you decline, I understand, and again, I apologize for my rash behavior."

"No," Bilbo replied immediately. Thorin began to retract his hand from the other man's grasp, but Bilbo held on tightly to Thorin's surprise. "I wouldn't dream of declining. Do you know how fast my heart was racing after that kiss? Do you know how I felt when I found that you weren't there the next morning? When you didn't come back for days? No way would I say no to a date with you."

Thorin put the pot down on the ground and exclaimed, "Oh, thank god," as he leaned into Bilbo to kiss him. Their lips locked, and nothing had felt so right to Bilbo, or to Thorin. Thorin held the back of Bilbo's head, entwining his fingers into Bilbo's golden curls as Bilbo smiled into the kiss.

"Ew! Look at your Uncle Bilbo!" Bilbo heard Pippin shout.

Bilbo rolled his eyes and broke the kiss, removing his hands from the other man's shoulders. "Peregrin Took, I will tell your mother about her missing mug if you do not be quiet," he threatened. Pippin blushed and three other boys laughed loudly.

Thorin looked at the man in his arms and grinned. He gave Bilbo a chaste kiss, happy what his long wait in the rain had become.


End file.
